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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29222307">Your Real Eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightNinjaThief/pseuds/StarlightNinjaThief'>StarlightNinjaThief</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, post-4x12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:48:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>843</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29222307</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightNinjaThief/pseuds/StarlightNinjaThief</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"You know I'm not okay with that" holds more weight than Derek or Braeden realize.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Braeden/Derek Hale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Your Real Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so I totally blame a re-watch with my sister for this. and various comments Hoechlin gave confirming Draeden still together and Meagan hoping they were :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Braeden seemed fine when everyone headed home from Mexico. She counted the ammo, mentally making a list of what and where to restock.<br/><br/>She then fell silent halfway through. Knee jumping and staring at nothing, the woman refused to look at Derek.<br/><br/>The tenseness she radiated, that’s when he decided they weren’t going back to Beacon Hills. He owned other places. Maybe the one in Colorado.<br/><br/>She didn’t notice which way he drove until they stopped for gas.<br/><br/>Braeden stayed in the truck but eyes tracked Derek through the store. It unnerved his wolf a bit but it’s been a long 48hours and supposed he understood.<br/><br/>Across town he pulled into another of his secret apartments, and Derek handed Braeden her duffel. She moved to the sink, scrubbing harshly at her bloody shirt.<br/><br/>“Brae, about last night....,” Derek started.<br/><br/>“Shower,” she mumbled already moving.<br/><br/>He respected her privacy though sat against the opposite wall, trying to control his own erratic breathing. Smelled the salt of tears through the door, making his wolf whine inside.<br/><br/>After a few deep breaths (knowing she was trained in quick showers), Derek grabbed the most comfortable clothes he could.<br/><br/>Braeden drifted to the bedroom and changed without a word. He didn’t need his newly restored senses to hear her heart pounding or the anxiety roll off of both of them.<br/><br/>“Did I do something wrong? Are you injured?” he asked. <em>Beyond bumps and bruises that is. Maybe shock.</em><br/><br/>“Something wrong?” Braeden scoffed. Suddenly there was a fire in her eyes he’d only seen directed at enemies.<br/><br/>Even his wolf reflexes couldn’t have predicted the punch she threw at Derek. But he sure felt the crack of his jaw. And the double combo aimed at his ribs.<br/><br/>When she swept his feet out from under him is when Derek realized it was Braeden attacking him. The woman he was in lo - <em>no now wasn’t the time.</em><br/><br/>“Stop hitting me!” he yelled.<br/><br/>“No, fight back!” she screamed and continued punching and kicking.<br/><br/>He didn’t care if his body healed instantly, he just wondered <em>what the hell</em> had gotten into her. “I-I’m not fighting you!” he choked with another impressive uppercut to his stomach.<br/><br/>Braeden could take him down if she’d wanted to. She’d trained him these last few months but he didn’t want to hurt her - whatever this was.<br/><br/>At some point Derek jumped up to block her advances but not return them which seemed to make her angrier. He knew the feeling when he prowled the woods. If this is what it took to wear her out....<br/><br/><em>Thank God he de-magged the guns and tossed them out of reach.</em><br/><br/>Braeden’s breath finally hitched and he was able to grab her wrists though her fight remained strong - like her life depended on it. Or his.<br/><br/>“Braeden, STOP!” he ordered. “I’m not gonna hurt you like this!”<br/><br/>Crossing his body around hers, Derek brought them to the bed.<br/><br/>“You already did,” her voice a garbled whisper.<br/><br/><em>What?<br/><br/></em>“You died! Right in my hands!”<br/><br/>So that’s what this is about. In Mexico late last night.<br/><br/>“Oh Brae, I didn’t m-” Now Derek wanted to cry too.<br/><br/>“Your h-heart stopped. Y-you looked at me and - and then g-gone.” Braeden couldn’t stop the tears from flowing now.<br/><br/>Derek rarely saw his girlfriend vulnerable and this was not a time he liked. Not like in bed curled up together. Not like when she admitted to wanting a normal life for them. <em>A house. A yard. A ton of kids.</em><br/><br/>He cupped her chin and her eyes finally saw his own wet ones. “I fucked up and I’m so, so sorry.”<br/><br/>“You didn’t fight back. I-I know it was bad but you didn’t fight. Fo-for y-yourself.” <em>Or us</em> the words were unspoken. But he felt them.<br/><br/>“I may’ve been mortal at the time, but the wolf saved my life. Actually, your voice did. Your hands on me. It triggered my body to come back. To want what we have and so much more,” Derek told her, his nose an inch from hers just like 48hours ago.<br/><br/>They finally lay down, not letting go of each other.<br/><br/>“If you do that again, I’m killing you myself, and your wolf-ass,” was her empty threat as he wiped her face of tears.<br/><br/>He let out a watery laugh. “Braeden, even if I turned human again, I’ve got too much now. I’m never leaving you again.”<br/><br/>His warm hand stroked under her sweatshirt, over her stomach and hip. Slowly healing bruises just by being there. Her fingers tangled in his shirt and hair, making sure he didn’t move.<br/><br/>“I love you, Derek,” made up for the hits to his body.<br/><br/>“I love you, too.”<br/><br/><em>If 6 months later she went to Beacon Hills to help hunt the Desert Wolf and there was a ring on a chain under her shirt.... If a year later Argent came looking for Derek in Brazil and he had a matching ring on a chain (and similar tattoo on his hip) it was their secret.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope it wasn't too out of character! the idea ran away from me lol. in a good way I thought. enjoy!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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